Systems and method for controlling electronic devices using radio frequency identification (RFID) devices

ABSTRACT

A control system includes an RFID device and an RFID reader antenna configured to receive a signal from the RFID device. The signal is associated with a command. A transmitter transmits the command to an electronic device to operate the electronic device.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/065,404 entitled “SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING RADIO FREQUENCYIDENTIFICATION (RFID) DEVICES,” filed on Oct. 17, 2014, and U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 61/923,501 entitled “SYSTEMS ANDMETHODS FOR CONTROLLING ELECTRONIC DEVICES USING RADIO FREQUENCYIDENTIFICATION (RFID) DEVICES,” filed on Jan. 3, 2014. All of theseapplications are incorporated by reference in their entireties.Furthermore, any and all priority claims identified in the ApplicationData Sheet, or any correction thereto, are hereby incorporated byreference under 37 C.F.R. §1.57.

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for controllingelectronic devices.

Description of the Related Art

A variety of commercially available electronic devices exist for useduring various activities. These electronic devices may include, but arenot limited to, music players, cameras, timers, cellular phones,camcorders, and/or radios. Depending on the activity being performed,operation of these devices may be limited or difficult (e.g., gloves maymake it difficult to actuate a control button or screen of the device,the environment prohibits exposure of the device when control isdesired, etc.). Thus, a method and system of controlling an electronicdevice which overcomes one or more of these disadvantages is desirable.

SUMMARY

The devices of the present invention have several features, no singleone of which is solely responsible for its desirable attributes. Withoutlimiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims whichfollow, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. Afterconsidering this discussion, and particularly after reading the sectionentitled “Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments,” one willunderstand how the features of this invention provide several advantagesover current designs.

One embodiment is a control system that includes at least one RFIDdevice, an RFID reader antenna configured to receive a signal from theat least one RFID device, an RFID reader configured to decode thereceived signal, a processor configured to determine at least onecommand associated with the received signal, and a transmitterconfigured to transmit the at least one command to at least oneelectronic device.

Another embodiment is a glove that includes a plurality of RFID devices.Each RFID device is associated with a unique identifier.

Another embodiment is a method for changing a state of an electronicdevice. The method comprises receiving a signal from at least one RFIDdevice and decoding the received signal into a unique identifier. Themethod further comprises associating at least one command with thedecoded unique identifier and transmitting the at least one associatedcommand.

Further aspects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the detailed description that follows.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will now be described in connection with embodiments of thepresent invention, in reference to the accompanying drawings. Theillustrated embodiments, however, are merely examples and are notintended to limit the invention. Some embodiments will be described inconjunction with the appended drawings, where like designations denotelike elements.

FIG. 1A depicts an exemplary embodiment of a system for simplifyingelectronic device control using RFID devices.

FIG. 1B depicts an exemplary diagram of the system of FIG. 1A whereinthe RFID devices are disposed in a glove. The glove is used to controlthe electronic device via a base unit.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the glove from FIG. 1B with a second glove thatincludes RFID devices. The RFID device somewhere on each finger from thepair of gloves is associated with a command for the electronic device.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the base unit from FIG. 1B employinga wireless technology.

FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart of an exemplary method for controlling anelectronic device.

FIG. 5 is a chart showing exemplary associations between RFID deviceunique identifiers and commands for the electronic device.

FIG. 6 illustrates a functional block diagram of an embodiment of thebase unit from FIG. 1B.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an exemplary RFID tag and RFID tagreader.

FIG. 8A depicts an illustration of an embodiment of the system where thecontrol unit is embedded in a jacket in combination with the glove fromFIG. 1A.

FIG. 8B is similar to FIG. 8A except that the control unit is located ina movable patch in the jacket.

FIG. 8C depicts an illustration of an embodiment where the control unitis disposed in a ski, motorcycle, or cycling helmet.

FIG. 9A is a photo of an embodiment of the control unit from FIG. 1A.

FIG. 9B is a photo of an embodiment of the glove from FIG. 2 with theRFID devices removed from the glove.

FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary diagram of an embodiment of a system forsimplifying electronic device control using RFID devices wirelesslycoupled to the electronic device being controlled.

FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary diagram of a system for simplifyingelectronic device control via a remote system capable of operating apps(or programs or software) configured to control the electronic device.

FIG. 12 depicts an exemplary diagram of an embodiment of a system forsimplifying electronic device control using RFID devices wirelesslycoupled to the electronic device being controlled.

The various features illustrated in the drawings may not be drawn toscale. Accordingly, the dimensions of the various features may bearbitrarily expanded or reduced for clarity. In addition, some of thedrawings may not depict all of the components of a given system, methodor device. Finally, like reference numerals may be used to denote likefeatures throughout the specification and figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of exemplary embodiments of theinvention and is not intended to represent the only embodiments in whichthe invention may be practiced. The term “exemplary” used throughoutthis description means “serving as an example, instance, orillustration,” and should not necessarily be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other exemplary embodiments. The terms “first” and“second” are used herein to distinguish among various elements (e.g.,“first frequency” and “second frequency”) and are not intended to denoteany particular order to these elements. The detailed descriptionincludes specific details for the purpose of providing a thoroughunderstanding of the exemplary embodiments of the invention. In someinstances, some devices are shown in block diagram form.

The preferred embodiments of the invention illustrated and describedabove are RFID-enabled—that is, they utilize RFID technology toelectrically store and communicate certain information (e.g., uniqueidentifiers or the like). RFID technology provides a universal andwireless medium for uniquely identifying objects and for wirelesslyexchanging information over short range distances (from near contact toup to a few inches). Commercially available RFID technologies includeelectronic devices called transponders or tags (herein RFID devices),and reader/writer electronics (herein RFID readers) that provide aninterface for communicating with the RFID devices. Most RFID systemscommunicate via radio signals that carry data either uni-directionally(read only) or, more preferably, bi-directionally (read/write).

FIG. 1A depicts a diagram of an embodiment of a control system 100 thatemploys RFID devices. The RFID devices 110 a-110 f control an electronicdevice 125. The control system 100 may comprise a glove 105 a containingtherein RFID devices 110 a-110 f. The RFID devices 110 a-110 f transmitinformation to an RFID reader antenna 115. The RFID reader antenna 115generates a wireless field 135. The RFID reader antenna 115 may beconnected to a base unit 120. The base unit 120 may transmit a commandassociated with a read RFID device 110 to the electronic device 125 viaa communication path 130. Of course the system need not include a glove105 a. For example, in certain embodiments the glove 105 a is replacedwith other articles, such as clothing or objects, to which RFID devices110 a-110 f may be attached or installed.

The RFID devices 110 a-110 f may store information therein to controlthe electronic device 125. The RFID devices 110 a-110 f may compriseeither passive or active RFID devices. Additionally, the RFID devices110 a-110 f may each have unique identifiers (i.e., 110 a=1, 110 b=2,110 c=3, 110 d=4, 110 e=5, 110 f=6), which may be transmitted whenplaced in the vicinity of the RFID reader antenna 115. The wirelessfield 135 may provide for wireless power transfer and datacommunication. The RFID reader antenna 115 may be external to the baseunit 120 and connected to an RFID reader (see FIG. 3) within the baseunit 120. In certain embodiments, the RFID reader antenna 115 isdisposed within the base unit 120. The base unit 120, in addition to anRFID reader 310, may also comprise a power source connection,controller, memory, transmission circuitry, headphone connection,microphone connection, and on/off switch. The base unit 120 will bediscussed in more detail below. The base unit 120 may receive data fromthe RFID device 110 via the RFID reader antenna 115 and generate acommand to transmit to the electronic device 125 via the communicationpath 130. The electronic device 125 represents the device with which auser wishes to interact. The electronic device 125 may be a music playerto which the user wishes to listen or a camera with which the userwishes to take pictures or video. These examples are not meant to belimiting. The communication path 130 may represent the path ofcommunication between the base unit 120 transmission circuitry and theelectronic device 125. This communication path 130 may represent anypath or mode of communication, wired or wireless, through which dataand/or commands may be communicated, for example, but not limited to,Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, near field communications (NFC), etc. Incertain embodiments, the base unit 120 sends commands to the electronicdevice 125 via the communication path 130. In response the electronicdevice 125 can send, stop, start, etc. the data it sends to the baseunit 120, such as desired music, via the communication path 130. Theuser may connect headphones, ear buds or other audio devices 140 to thebase unit 120 to hear the desired music. In certain embodiments, theuser connects the headphones, ear buds or other audio device 140 to theelectronic device 125. In such an embodiment, the base unit 120 controlsthe electronic device 125 but need not receive the data desired by theuser. The user receives the data directly from the electronic device125.

The wireless field 135 may represent the volume of space in whichwireless power from the RFID reader antenna 115 may be sourced to powerthe RFID device 110. The wireless field 135 also represents the volumeof space in which the RFID reader antenna 115 may detect the RFIDdevices 110 a-110 f and receive information from said RFID devices.

The glove 105 a is an exemplary article of clothing that may inhibit theuse of the electronic device 125 during an activity. By way of exampleonly, the glove 105 a depicted in FIG. 1A may be necessary forprotecting the user while skiing. However, the bulk of the glove 105 amay make it difficult to operate the controls of the electronic device125. Alternatively, the glove 105 a may make it difficult to access theelectronic device 125 when the user wants to control it. However, thoughthe glove 105 a may hinder use of the electronic device 125, it may alsoprovide the location for installing the RFID devices 110 a-110 f. Asdepicted, the RFID devices 110 a-110 f may be embedded in the fingertipsand the base of the palm of the glove 105 a such that a user may be ableto more easily present the necessary RFID device 110 a-110 f to the RFIDreader antenna 115. Embedding the RFID devices 110 a-110 f in the glove105 a keeps them protected from damage from use and ensures they arealways located in the same place so that the user may know what part ofthe glove 105 a corresponds to a particular RFID device 110 a-110 f. Inanother embodiment, the RFID devices 110 a-110 f are installed on thearticle of clothing. The unique identifier of a respective RFID device110 a-110 f may be broadcast by the RFID device 110 a-110 f when therespective RFID device 110 a-110 f is brought within the wireless field135 of the RFID reader antenna 115. Thus, by placing the index finger ofglove 105 a within the wireless field 135 near the RFID reader antenna115, the user may activate RFID device 110 b such that the RFID device110 b broadcasts its unique identifier.

The RFID devices 110 a-110 f may be coded to command the electronicdevice 125. In an embodiment, the electronic device 125 may be a musicplayer and the RFID devices 110 a-110 f may each embody one or morecommands the music player can perform (i.e., stop, play, rewind, fastforward, pause, volume up, volume down, etc.). Since each RFID device110 a-110 f may have a unique identifier, each RFID device 110 a-110 fmay be associated with at least one particular command. Thus, the indexfinger RFID device 110 b may be assigned to the Start/Pause command. Thenumber of commands available may be limited only by the number ofcommands available on the electronic device 125.

The RFID reader antenna 115 may provide a point or region where the usermay locate the desired RFID device 110 a-110 f such that the desiredcommand is communicated to the electronic device 125. The RFID readerantenna 115 may be placed at or near the base unit 120 or may be locatedmore conveniently for user access. For example, when the user is skiing,the base unit 120 may be located in the pocket of a jacket, while theRFID reader antenna 115 may be more conveniently located on the arm ofthe jacket. In such an embodiment, the user need only touch the arm(where the RFID reader antenna 115 is located) with a particular RFIDdevice 110 a-110 f to send a command to the electronic device 125. Theelectronic device 125 may also be located in the pocket with the baseunit 120. In another embodiment, the RFID reader antenna 115 isinstalled in a ski, motorcycle, or cycling helmet. In such anembodiment, the RFID reader antenna 115 is easily convenient to bothhands. In an alternate embodiment, the RFID reader antenna 115 islocated on the handlebar of a motorcycle such that a user may easilyaccess it with the glove 105 a. In such embodiments, the headphones, earbuds or other audio device 140 can be integrated into the helmet andconnected to the base unit 120.

The base unit 120 may comprise the components discussed above and aswill be discussed further below. The base unit 120 may be connected tothe RFID reader antenna 115. When connected, the RFID reader antenna 115may source power from the base unit 120 to generate the wireless field135 and may communicate any information received from the RFID device110 to the base unit 120. Once the base unit 120 receives theinformation from the RFID reader antenna 115, it may utilize internalcircuitry to convert the RFID device 110 information into a command tothe electronic device 125 via communication path 130. In an alternateembodiment, the base until 120 may receive information via the RFIDreader antenna 115 to send directly to the electronic device 125, andthe base unit 120 may not perform any internal processing of the commandvia communication path 130.

FIG. 1B depicts an exemplary diagram of the embodiment of the system ofFIG. 1A with the glove 105 controlling an electronic device 125 via thebase unit 120. A user listens to the data received from the electronicdevice 125 via the headphones, ear buds or other audio device 140connected to the base unit 120. In FIG. 1B, the user has moved the RFIDdevice 110 b within the wireless field 135 established by the RFIDreader antenna 115. The exemplary wireless field 135 may extend adistance 131 of up to one inch around the RFID reader antenna 115. Inanother embodiment, the RFID reader antenna 115 may be more or lesspowerful such that the wireless field 135 is larger or smaller than thewireless field 135 depicted herein.

A user may bring one or more of the RFID devices 110 a-110 f (e.g., RFIDdevice 110 b) into the wireless field 135 of the RFID reader antenna115. When the RFID device 110 b is within the wireless field 135 of theRFID reader antenna 115, the RFID device 110 b may obtain power from thewireless field 135. The RFID device 110 b may use the obtained power totransmit the information stored within the RFID device 110 b to the RFIDreader antenna 115.

The RFID reader antenna 115 may be connected to the base unit 120. Usingits internal circuitry, the base unit 120 may output a command to theelectronic device 125 based on the information received from the RFIDdevice 110 b. FIGS. 1A and 1B are not meant to be limiting as to thenumber of the RFID devices 110 a-110 f used in the RFID control system100. One of skill in the art will understand that any number of RFIDdevices 110 may be used in the RFID control system 100.

The base unit 120 may comprise a power source, such as a battery, solarpower, or an AC outlet. The base unit 120 is discussed in more detailbelow with reference to FIG. 3. In an embodiment, the base unit 120 mayhave a connector to which the RFID reader antenna 115 may connect. Thebase unit 120 may be used with various antennas. Such functionality mayallow the user to not relocate the RFID reader antenna 115, and insteadinstall multiple RFID reader antennas 115 for each application of theRFID control system.

In some embodiments, the RFID reader antenna 115 may be installed on orwithin the sleeve of a jacket (i.e., the sleeve of the ski jacket thatmay be used with the ski glove 105 a of FIG. 1A). Another RFID readerantenna 115 may be installed in the helmet of the user's bike helmet,enabling the user to use the RFID control system 100 when participatingin activities involving the bike helmet. In another embodiment, the RFIDdevices may be embedded in patches or similar items such that the RFIDdevices 110 may be used in a large number of activities and withmultiple RFID reader antennas 115.

FIG. 2 shows an illustration of an embodiment of the RFID devices 110embedded in a pair of gloves 105 a-105 b. Each of the RFID devices 110a-1101 is located in a fingertip or the base of the palm of one of thegloves. For example, the RFID device 110 a is located at the tip of thethumb of the left glove 105 a. The RFID devices 110 b-110 e are locatedat the tip of the pointer finger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinkiefinger of the left glove 105 a, respectively. The RFID device 110 f isembedded in the base of the palm of the glove 105 a. Similarly, the RFIDdevices 110 g-110 k are embedded at the tip of the thumb, pointerfinger, middle finger, ring finger, and pinkie finger of the right glove105 b, respectively. The RFID device 1101 is embedded in the base of thepalm of the glove 105 b. Each of these RFID devices 110 a-1101 has aunique identifier that will be broadcast when brought within range ofthe wireless field 135 of the RFID reader antenna 115.

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the base unit 120 for the RFIDcontrol system 100. The base unit 120 may comprise an RFID reader 310which may be connected to the RFID reader antenna 115. The RFID readerantenna 115 may be mounted internal to the base unit 120, external tothe base unit 120, or remote from the base unit 120 and connected to thebase unit 120. The RFID reader 310 may also connect to the controller320. The controller 320 may be connected to a memory 321 and atransmitter 325.

The base unit 120 may further include an on/off switch 330, powerrecharge connection 335, headphone connection 340, and microphoneconnection 345. All of the components within the base unit 120 may beconnected to a battery 315 or other power source.

The RFID reader 310 may function to receive information from the RFIDreader antenna 115 and convert the received information into a usableformat for the controller 320. The controller 320 may receive theinformation from the RFID reader 310 corresponding to informationreceived from the RFID device 110. The controller 320 may then determinethe command associated with the information received to transmit to theelectronic device 125 by referencing the memory 321, and provide theassociated command to the transmitter 325 for communication to theelectronic device 125. In an alternate embodiment, the RFID reader 310may determine the command associated with a particular RFID device 110by using the memory 321 and provide only the associated command to thecontroller 320, which the controller 320 may provide to the transmitter325 for communication to the electronic device 125. In anotherembodiment, the RFID reader 310 may receive other information from theRFID device 110. The RFID reader 310 and/or the controller 320 maydetermine a command associated with the received information to provideto the transmitter 325 or may provide the received information directlyto the transmitter 325. The memory 321 may be used to store theassociations between unique identifiers of the RFID devices 110 a-110 fand the commands to the electronic device 125. The battery 315 mayprovide the power to operate the circuitry of the base unit 120 and tocreate the wireless field 135 transmitted by the RFID reader antenna115.

FIG. 4 depicts a flowchart of an exemplary embodiment of the method ofcontrolling an electronic device 125. Process 400 may be performed, insome aspects, by the base unit 120 of FIG. 3, to control an electronicdevice 125, such as a smart phone or music player using RFID devices110.

The process 400 may begin with Step 405. Step 405 comprises storing theunique identifiers of the RFID devices (i.e., RFID devices 110 a-110 fas referenced in FIGS. 1A & 1B) being used by the RFID control system100 in memory 321 of FIG. 3. The unique identifiers associated with theRFID devices 110 a-110 f may be stored to enable the RFID control system100 to detect and recognize the RFID devices 110 a-110 f associated withthe RFID control system 100. Thus, RFID devices 110 not associated withthe RFID control system 100 may be ignored. Storing the uniqueidentifiers may allow the association of commands for the electronicdevice 125 with the unique identifiers. The process 400 continues withStep 410, where commands for the electronic device 125 are associatedand stored with the stored unique identifiers of the RFID devices 110a-110 f in memory 321. This step may allow the base unit 120 to send theproper command to the electronic device 125 when a specific RFID device110 (such as RFID device 110 a) is placed within the wireless field 135.The association between stored unique identifiers and commands for theelectronic device 125 may ensure that the user may select apredetermined response when a specific RFID device 110 a is within thewireless field 135. At step 415 the electronic device 125 is connectedor linked to the base unit 120 such that the commands associated withthe RFID devices 110 a-110 f may be communicated to the electronicdevice 125 via the communication path 130. This connection may be aphysical connection or a wireless pairing such that communicationbetween the two devices may take place. In another embodiment, any ofsteps 405, 410, and 415 may be combined.

At step 420 the base unit 120 generates the wireless field 135 using theRFID reader antenna 115 of FIG. 3. In this step, the RFID reader antenna115 may use power from the battery 315 of the base unit 120 to createthe wireless field 135 around the RFID reader antenna 115. This wirelessfield 135 will provide power for passive RFID devices 110 a-110 f sothat any RFID device 110 within the wireless field 135 may receive powernecessary to transmit its stored information to the RFID reader antenna115. In step 425, the base unit 120 may receive the information from theRFID device 110 (i.e., RFID device 110 a). The RFID reader 310 receivesthe information from the RFID device 110 a via the RFID reader antenna115. The RFID reader 310 decodes the received information andcommunicates it to the controller 320 within the base unit 120. If theinformation received from the RFID device 110 a is a unique identifier,the base unit 120 may proceed to step 430 and determine if the uniqueidentifier is stored in the memory 321 and associated with a command forthe electronic device 125. The controller 320 may compare the uniqueidentifier received from the RFID reader 310 with the unique identifiersstored in the memory 321 and determine if there is a command associatedwith the unique identifier. If the unique identifier is not stored inthe memory 321 and/or not associated with a command for the electronicdevice 125, then the base unit 120 can ignore the information receivedand return to only generating the wireless field 135 at step 420. If thebase unit 120 determines at step 430 that the unique identifier isstored in the memory 321 and is associated with a command, the process400 may move to step 435. In an embodiment, if the information receivedfrom the RFID device 110 is a command for the electronic device 125, thecontroller sends the command to the transmitter 330 to communicate it tothe electronic device 125 via the communication path 130. In step 435,the base unit 120 may determine what command is associated with theunique identifier of the RFID device 110 a. This may be accomplished bychecking the associations created in step 410 between the commandscontrolling the electronic device 125 and the unique identifiers of theRFID devices 110 a-110 f. In an alternate embodiment, each uniqueidentifier may be associated with more than one command to theelectronic device 125. Then, process 400 may progress to step 440, wherethe command associated with the RFID device 110 a is transmitted to theelectronic device 125. This step may entail the controller 320communicating the command or commands associated with the uniqueidentifier of the detected RFID device 110 to the transmitter 325. Thetransmitter 325 may then transmit the commands to the electronic device125. As explained above, in response the electronic device 125 can send,stop, start, etc. the data it sends to the base unit 120, such asdesired music, via the communication path 130. The user may connectheadphones, ear buds or other audio device 140 to the base unit 120 tohear the desired music. In certain embodiments, the user connects theheadphones, ear buds or other audio device 140 to the electronic device125. In such an embodiment, the base unit 120 controls the electronicdevice 125 but need not receive the data desired by the user. The userreceives the data directly from the electronic device 125. Then, theprocess 400 may terminate.

FIG. 5 is a chart showing exemplary unique RFID tag identifiers andassociated commands and tag locations. The chart of FIG. 5 is exemplaryof the associations the controller 320 may create in the memory 321between the unique identifiers of the RFID devices 110 a-110 f and thecommands controlling the electronic device 125. The memory 321 maycontain associations for the unique identifier of each RFID device 110a-110 f associated with the RFID control system 100. Each uniqueidentifier may be associated with one or more commands controlling theelectronic device 125. One unique identifier may be associated withmultiple commands to the electronic device 125. Thus, Unique Identifier1, for example, of FIG. 5, may be associated with both the “Start”command and also an “Ignore Call” command for a cell phone that may beused as a music player. Thus, a user receiving a call may, with onemotion, ignore the call and start the music playing again.

The number of associations between the RFID device 110 uniqueidentifiers and commands of the electronic device 125 may only belimited by the size of the memory 321. One base unit 120 may be capableof operating with dozens of RFID devices 110, to control variouselectronic devices 125. In such an embodiment, FIG. 5 may indicate achart with dozens or hundreds of unique identifiers for RFID devices110. Similarly, the base unit 120 may be capable of storing commands tovarious electronic devices. The base unit 120 memory 321 may contain achart of FIG. 5 with a third element of the association being theelectronic device 125 being controlled. In such an embodiment, theunique identifier 1 of RFID device 110 a in glove 105 a may beassociated with a command of “Start” when controlling a music player anda command of “Answer Call” when controlling a cellular phone. In theembodiment, the base unit 120 may detect what electronic device 125 itis connecting to and thus only look at associations with uniqueidentifiers of RFID devices that are associated with commands for thatelectronic device 125. Additionally, in another embodiment, the RFIDdevices 110 a-110 f may be used with multiple base units 120 to controlmultiple electronic devices 125. In some other embodiments, anelectronic device 125 may be used with multiple base units 120.

FIG. 6 illustrates a function block diagram of an embodiment of the baseunit 120 utilized in the RFID control system. The base unit 120 maycomprise a field generating and signal receiving circuit 605, a signaldecoding circuit 610, a signal/command associating circuit 615, and atransmitting circuit 620. The field generating and signal receivingcircuit 605 may be configured to perform one or more of the functionsdiscussed above with respect to the blocks 420 and 425 in FIG. 4. Thefield generating and signal receiving circuit 605 may correspond to oneor more of the controller 320, the RFID reader 310, or the RFID readerantenna 115 in FIG. 3. The signal decoding circuit 610 may be configuredto perform one or more of the functions discussed above with respect toblocks 425 and 430 in FIG. 4. The signal decoding circuit 610 maycorrespond to one or more of the controller 320 or the RFID reader 310in FIG. 3. The signal/command associating circuit 615 may be configuredto perform one or more of the functions discussed above with respect toblocks 405, 410, 425, 430, and 435 in FIG. 4. The signal/commandassociating circuit 615 may correspond to one or more of the controller320 or the RFID reader 310 in FIG. 3. The transmitting circuit 620 maybe configured to perform one or more of the functions discussed abovewith respect to block 440 in FIG. 4. The transmitting circuit 620 maycorrespond to the controller 320 or the transmitter 325 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an exemplary RFID tag and RFID tagreader. Various RFID devices may be particularly suitable for use withthe present invention illustrated and described herein. For example, inan embodiment, a 134.2 kHz/123.2 kHz, 23 mm glass transponder ispreferably selected, such as available from Texas Instruments, Inc.(http://www.tiris.com, e.g., Product No. M-TRP-WRHP). In FIG. 7, an RFIDdevice 110 may comprise a passive (batteryless) RF transmitter/receiverchip 710 and an antenna 715. The antenna 715 can be spiral wound. TheRFID device 110 may be disposed within an enclosure. If desired, theRFID device 110 may be modified to provide an optional external antenna.

A wide variety of RFID tags are available in the form of a printedcircuit on a thin, flat substrate. For example, the 13.56 MHz RFID tagsold under the brand name Tag-It™ and available from Texas Instruments,Inc. (http://www.tiris.com, Product No. RI-I03-110A). Paper thin andbatteryless, this general purpose RFID device may fit between layers oflaminated paper, plastic, or cloth to create inexpensive buttons,labels, patches, or badges. Tag-It™ inlays have a useful read/writerange of about 25 cm and contain 256 bits of on-board memory arranged in8×32-bit blocks which may be programmed (written) and read by a suitablyconfigured read/write device. Such RFID devices are useful for storingand retrieving desired application information such as uniqueidentifier, RFID device location, associated commands, associateddevices, etc.

The transmitter/receiver chip 710 connects to the antenna 715. Ifdesired, the RFID device 110 may be molded directly into a plastic,cloth, paper, or substrate of any material. In an embodiment, the RFIDdevice 110 may be passive (requires no batteries) so that it isinexpensive to purchase and maintain. In another embodiment, the RFIDdevice 110 may be active (containing a battery). In one embodiment, thetag is a 13.56 MHz tag sold under the brand name Tag-It™ available fromTexas Instruments, Inc. (http://www.tiris.com, Product No. RI-I03-110A).The tag may be “read/write” or “read only”, depending on its particularapplication. Optionally, more or less expensive chip tags may be usedwith equal efficacy.

The RFID devices 110 and the like are highly advantageous. They areinexpensive, disposable, and may be easily secured to or embedded withinvirtually any object, article of clothing, or the like, forelectronically storing and retrieving desired user-specific orobject-specific information. For example, FIG. 2 illustrates anembodiment of a pair of gloves 105 a-105 b having RFID devices 110a-1101 secured therein for enabling the gloves 105 a-105 b to interactwith various antennae located within an RFID-enabled environment.

The particular size, shape and theme of the RFID devices 110 arerelatively unimportant. In the particular embodiment illustrated, theRFID devices 110 are shaped and sized so as to be embedded in otheritems. The RFID devices 110 may be packaged and sold together with abase unit containing the RFID reader 310 and other electronics necessaryfor the control of the electronic device, or they may be sold embeddedinto clothing or other objects.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the invention variousRFID readers 310 are able to read the RFID devices 110 described hereinand to actuate or control one or more electronic devices 125 in responsethereto. For example, the unique identifier information can beconveniently read and provided to an associated base unit 120 forpurposes of interacting with an associated electronic device 125.

FIG. 7 also depicts a simplified schematic diagram of one embodiment ofan RFID reader 310 for use with the shown RFID devices 110 a-1101. Apreferred RFID reader 310 is the Series 2000 Micro Reader available fromTexas Instruments, Inc. (http://www.tiris.com, e.g., Product No.RI-STU-MRD1). In certain embodiments, the RFID reader 310 comprises anRF module 765, a control unit 760 and an RFID reader antenna 115. Whenthe RFID device 110 embedded in the gloves 105 a-105 b or other objectcomes within a predetermined range of RFID reader antenna 115 (about 1inch) the RFID device antenna 715 is excited by the radiated wirelessfield 135 and momentarily creates a corresponding voltage signal whichpowers the transmitter/receiver chip 710. In turn, thetransmitter/receiver chip 710 outputs an electrical signal responsewhich causes the RFID device antenna 715 to broadcast certaininformation stored within the RFID device 110. This information mayinclude a unique identifier.

A carrier signal embodying this information is received by the RFIDreader antenna 115. The RF module 765 decodes the received signal andprovides the decoded information to the control unit 760. The controlunit 760 processes the information and provides it to an associatedlogic controller, PID controller, computer or the like using a varietyof standard electrical interfaces. For example, the processedinformation could be provided to the controller 320 of the base unit120. Thus, the information transmitted by RFID device 110 and receivedby the RFID reader 310 may be used to control one or more electronicdevices 125, for example.

In some embodiments, the RFID reader 310 may also be configured tobroadcast or “write” certain information back to the RFID device 110 tochange or update information stored in its internal memory, for example.The exchange of communications occurs very rapidly (about 70 ms) and so,from the user's perspective, it appears to be virtually instantaneous.Thus, the RFID devices 110 embedded into the gloves 105 a-105 b orsimilar device may be used to communicate with various associatedelectronic devices by simply touching or bringing the RFID device 110into relatively close proximity with the RFID reader antenna 115 of theRFID reader 310.

As indicated above, communication of data between an RFID device 110 andan RFID reader 310 is by wireless communication. As a result,transmitting such data is always subject to the vagaries and influencesof the media or channels through which the data has to pass, includingthe air interface. Noise, interference and distortion are the primarysources of data corruption that may arise. Thus, those skilled in theart will recognize that a certain degree of care should be taken in theplacement and orientation of RFID readers 310 so as to minimize theprobability of such data transmission errors.

Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosureherein that the invention is not limited to the specific RFID devices110 or RFID readers 310 disclosed herein, but may be implemented usingany one or more of a wide variety of commercially available RFID devices110 or RFID readers 310 such as are known or will be obvious from thedisclosure herein to those skilled in the art.

Typical RFID data communication is asynchronous or unsynchronized innature and, thus, particular attention should be given in consideringthe form in which the data is to be communicated. Structuring the bitstream to accommodate these needs, such as via a channel encodingscheme, is preferred in order to provide reliable system performance.Various suitable channel encoding schemes, such as amplitude shiftkeying (ASK), frequency shift keying (FSK), phase shift keying (PSK) andspread spectrum modulation (SSM), are well known to those skilled in theart and will not be further discussed herein. The choice of carrier wavefrequency is also important in determining data transfer rates.Generally speaking the higher the frequency the higher the data transferor throughput rates that can be achieved. This is intimately linked tobandwidth or range available within the frequency spectrum for thecommunication process. Preferably, the channel bandwidth is selected tobe at least twice the bit rate required for the particular gameapplication.

The read or write cycle begins with a charge (or powering phase). Duringthis phase, the RF Module 765 causes the RFID reader antenna 115 to emitthe wireless field 135 at a frequency of about 134.2 kHz. In anotherembodiment, the frequency of the wireless field may be higher or lowerthan 134.2 kHz.

The charge phase is followed directly by the read phase (read mode).Thus, the RFID device 110 begins transmitting its data and utilizing theenergy received from the wireless field. The RFID device 110 responseduration may be less than about 20 ms. In another embodiment, the RFIDdevice 110 response duration may be less than or greater than 20 ms.

The signal embodying the transmitted information is received by RFIDreader antenna 115 and is decoded by RF module 765. RF Module 765 hasthe primary function and capability to charge up the RFID device 110, toreceive the RFID device 110 signal and to demodulate it for furtherprocessing. The control unit 760 may operate as an interface for a PC,logic controller or PLC controller for handling display and commandinput/output functions, for example, the controller 320 of the base unit120.

FIG. 8A depicts an illustration of an embodiment of the system 100 wherethe control unit 120 is embedded in a jacket in combination with theglove 105 from FIG. 1A. FIG. 8B is similar to FIG. 8A except that thecontrol unit 120 is located in a movable patch in the jacket. Thecontrol unit 120 and/or the RFID reader antenna 115 may be located inthe same location or separated within the jacket. FIG. 8C depicts anillustration of an embodiment where the control unit 120 is disposed ina ski helmet 800. FIG. 9A is a photo of an embodiment of the controlunit 120 from FIG. 1A. The embodiment of the base unit 120 depicted inthe photo shows one arrangement of the RFID reader antenna 115, the RFIDreader 310, the on/off switch 330, the power recharge connection 335,the headphone connection 340, and the microphone connection 345 onvarious sides of the base unit 120. Of course the base unit 120 includesinternal components as described in connection with FIG. 3 that are notvisible in FIG. 9A. FIG. 9B is a photo of an embodiment of the glove 105b from FIG. 2 with the RFID devices 110 removed from the glove 105 b.

FIG. 10 depicts an exemplary diagram of an embodiment of a system forsimplifying electronic device control using RFID devices wirelesslycoupled to the electronic device being controlled. As shown in FIG. 10,RFID reader antenna 115 may be electrically connected to RFID reader310. The RFID reader 310 may wirelessly couple with base unit 120, towhich audio device 140 may be connected. The base unit 120 and audiodevice 140 may be wirelessly coupled to electronic device 125, which, asdescribed above, may be configured to play music or provide otherinformation to the user.

The RFID reader antenna 115 may comprise the same functionality andcomponents described above in reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 3. The RFIDreader 310 may comprise components necessary to perform thefunctionality of sending the unique identifier(s) (or other information)received from the RFID devices 110 via the RFID reader antenna 115 tothe base unit 120. The base unit 120 may comprise many of the samecomponents as described above, with the exception of the RFID reader310. In some embodiments, the components within the RFID reader 310 maycomprise one or more of a transmitter/receiver, a power supply/source, amemory, and a processor. In some embodiments, the RFID reader 310 mayreceive the unique identifiers from the RFID reader antenna 115 that areassociated with RFID devices 110 within the range of the RFID readerantenna 115 (i.e., within wireless field 135) and may communicate thereceived unique identifiers to the base unit 120. In some embodiments,the association of unique identifiers received from the RFID devices 110with associated commands may be performed at the RFID reader 310, andthe command itself may be communicated to the base unit 120 forcommunication to the electronic device 125. In some embodiments, theunique identifier from the RFID devices 110 may be communicated to thebase unit 120 from the RFID reader 310, and the base unit 120 mayassociate the unique identifiers with an associated command.

In some embodiments, the RFID reader 310 may be configured to receiveinformation and/or signals from the base unit 120 acting as a relaybetween the electronic device 125 and the RFID reader 310. For example,in some embodiments, the audio device 140 may be configured to beelectrically connected to the RFID reader 310. The RFID reader 310 maybe configured to receive music being played on the music player 125 andconvey the music to the user via the audio device 140 electricallyconnected to the RFID reader 310.

The base unit 120 may be wirelessly coupled to the electronic device 125as described above. The communication path 130 may providebi-directional communications between the base unit 120 and theelectronic device 125. The commands associated with the RFID devices maybe communicated from the RFID reader antenna 115 to the RFID reader 310,from the RFID reader 310 to the base unit 120 via communication path133, and from the base unit 120 to the electronic device 125 via thecommunication path 130. Similarly, the media or data from the electronicdevice 125 may be communicated to the base unit 120 via communicationpath 130 and further to the RFID reader 310 via communication path 133.

In some embodiments, separating the RFID reader 310 from the base unit120 may provide the user with additional flexibility in the positioningor locating of the RFID reader 310 and the RFID reader antenna 115 thanwhen the RFID reader 310 is integrated into the same unit as the baseunit 120. The RFID reader 310 may be smaller than the base unit 120 dueto the RFID reader 310 comprising fewer components than the base unit120, and thus may be placed in more restricted (i.e., smaller)locations. Additionally, separating the RFID reader 310 from the baseunit 120 may provide flexibility of placing the RFID reader antenna 115and RFID reader 310 in more convenient locations than if the RFID readerantenna 115 is physically connected to the base unit 120 and all thecircuitry contained therein. For example, the RFID reader antenna 115may be placed on the handlebar of a bicycle with only the RFID reader310 electrically attached. As the RFID reader 310 may be smaller thanthe base unit 120, the RFID reader 310 may be more safely secured on thebicycle without impeding the user's use of the bicycle. The wirelesslycoupled base unit 120 and electronic device 125 may be safely stored ina backpack or pocket of the user where they are safer and need not bephysically accessed.

Additionally, the smaller size of the RFID reader 310 may keep the RFIDreader 310 less susceptible to physical impact or shock that mayadversely impact the RFID reader 310, for example, causing it to becomeloose from its mounting or damaging the internal electronics due to theshock. Separating the RFID reader 310 from the base unit 120 may allowthe user to use multiple RFID reader 310 and RFID reader antenna 115devices, as these devices may have lower costs than RFID readers andantennas 310 and 115, respectively, integrated into base units 120. Thismay allow the user to acquire multiple RFID reader antenna 115 andreader 310 devices and not have to move them between activities orinstallations (i.e., the user may leave an RFID reader antenna 115 andRFID reader 310 installed on the bike and have another pair installed ina ski jacket).

The wireless communications between the RFID reader 310 and the baseunit 120 (i.e., communication path 130) and the base unit 120 and theelectronic device 125 (i.e., communication path 133) may be any formatof wireless communications, for example low-power Bluetooth, Wi-Fi,cellular, infrared, etc.

FIG. 11 depicts an exemplary diagram of a system for simplifyingelectronic device control via a remote system capable of operating apps126 (or programs or software) configured to control the electronicdevice. As shown in FIG. 11, the RFID reader antenna 115 may beelectrically connected directly to the base unit 120, which may comprisethe RFID reader 310 and other components depicted in FIG. 3. In someembodiments, the base unit 120 may be configured to communicate with afirst electronic device 125 a (e.g., a computer). In some embodiments,the first electronic device 125 a may be configured to run/execute anapp or run a program 126. In some embodiments, the first electronicdevice 125 a may comprise communication hardware configured to receive acommunication from an external device (e.g., a second electronic device125 b) and convert the received communication into information for useby apps operating on the first electronic device 125 a. In someembodiments, the same communication hardware may be further configuredto convert information from apps operating on the first electronicdevice 125 a to a communication and transmit the communication to anexternal device, e.g., the second electronic device 125 b. In someembodiments, the first electronic device 125 a may comprise any mobilecomputing device, such as a cell phone or a wearable computing device(e.g., Google Glass™).

The first electronic device 125 a and the app 126 running thereon may beconfigured to communicate with the second electronic device 125 b viacommunication hardware of the first electronic device 125 a. Both thecommunications between the base unit 120 and the first electronic device125 a and the first electronic device 125 a and the second electronicdevice 125 b may be wireless via communication paths 130 and 134,respectively. As will be described in further detail below, bothcommunication paths 130 and 134 may be bidirectional such that commandsand/or information may be passed in both directions.

As described above, the base unit 120 may be configured to receive oneor more unique identifiers (or data or information) from RFID devices110 via the RFID reader antenna 115. The received unique identifiers maybe associated with specific commands. In some embodiments, the base unit120 may communicate either the unique identifiers or the associatedspecific commands to the first electronic device 125 a via communicationpath 130. When communicating the unique identifiers, the firstelectronic device 125 a may receive unique identifiers and associatethem with specific commands. In some embodiments, the first electronicdevice 125 a may receive unique identifiers, but the app 126 mayassociate them with specific commands.

Accordingly, one of the RFID devices 110 a may be associated with avariety of commands via the use of the app, which may be dependent uponthe second electronic device 125 b being controlled by the app. Forexample, the unique identifier for RFID device 110 a may be communicatedto the first electronic device 125 a. If the first electronic device 125a is running a music player control app, then the app 126 may associatethe RFID device 110 a with a command to stop playing music, which thefirst electronic device 125 a may communicate to the second electronicdevice 125 b (that is a music player). Similarly, if the firstelectronic device 125 a is running a camera control app, then the app126 may associate the RFID device 110 a with a command to capture apicture, which the first electronic device 125 a may communicate to thesecond electronic device 125 b (that is a camera).

When communicating the associated specific commands to the firstelectronic device 125 a via communication path 130, the first electronicdevice 125 a may receive the associated specific commands. The app 126operating on the first electronic device 125 a may associate thereceived commands to commands associated with the type of device beingcontrolled by the app, before broadcasting any commands to the secondelectronic device 125 b. In some embodiments, the app 126 may beconfigured to provide one or more shortcuts or sequences or macros ofsteps or commands. For example, the app 126 may be configured to receivea command from RFID device 110 a to capture a picture on a secondelectronic device 125 b that is a camera. However, to capture a pictureon the camera, more than one step may be required (e.g., a first buttonmay be pressed to focus the camera, and then a second button may bepressed to capture the focused picture). Accordingly, the app 126 may beconfigured to generate a two command shortcut (or two command sequence)associated with a single RFID device 110 a command. In some embodiments,the command shortcuts may comprise more than two commands. Thus, whenthe RFID device 110 a command is presented to the app 126, the app 126may be configured to send one or more commands to the camera 125 b tocapture the picture, here the first command to focus the camera and thesecond command to capture the focused picture.

In some embodiments, a single app 126 may be configured to receivecommands from RFID devices 110 and generate commands to control morethan one second electronic device 125 b. For example, the single app 126may be configured to control a music player, a camera, a cell phone, anda health monitor, to name a few. The user may select which one of thesedevices the single app 126 may control, for example, via a drop downmenu or a selection box. The single app 126 may also be configured togenerate one or more commands to control the second electronic devices125 b. For example, as described above, commanding one of the secondelectronic devices 125 b to perform a task may require more than onecommand (for example, the focusing and capturing commands to a camera).The single app 126 may be configured to generate sequences, macros, orcombinations of commands as necessary to command one of the secondelectronic devices 125 b to perform a task based on a received RFIDdevice 110 a command.

In operation, the app 126 may receive the specific command or uniqueidentifier from communication hardware of the first electronic device125 a. In some embodiments, the same communication hardware may be usedto communicate the commands to the second electronic device 125 b. Insome embodiments, separate communication hardware in the firstelectronic device 125 a may be used for communications to/from the baseunit 120 and to/from the second electronic device 125 b.

In some embodiments, the communication between the first electronicdevice 125 a and the second electronic device 125 b via communicationpath 134 may be bidirectional, and the app 126 operating on the firstelectronic device 125 a may request information or data from the secondelectronic device 125 b. For example, the specific command received maybe interpreted by the app 126 as a command to start playing music on thesecond electronic device 125 b, which may be a music player.Accordingly, the app 126 operating on the electronic device 125 a maycommunicate the command to start playing music via communication path134 to the music player 125 b. Then, the music player 125 b maycommunicate the music being played to the first electronic device 125 avia the communication path 134, and the music being played may beconveyed to the user via audio device 140.

FIG. 12 depicts an exemplary diagram of an embodiment of a system forsimplifying electronic device control using RFID devices wirelesslycoupled to the electronic device being controlled. As shown in FIG. 12,the RFID antenna 115 is electrically connected to the RFID reader 310.The RFID reader 310 is wirelessly coupled to a first electronic device125 a, which may be further coupled to one or more second electronicdevices 125 b. In some embodiments, the first electronic device 125 amay be electrically connected to the audio device 140. In someembodiments, the base unit 120 may be a separate device integrated intothe first electronic device 125 a. In some embodiments, the firstelectronic device 125 a may comprise similar components to those foundin the base unit 120 but not forming a base unit 120 within the firstelectronic device 125 a, and the functionality of the base unit 120 maybe performed by an app 126 operating on the first electronic device 125a. The first electronic device 125 a may comprise components configuredto allow wireless transmitting and receiving of commands and data to andfrom second electronic devices 125 b.

The first electronic device 125 a may be configured to receive uniqueidentifiers from the RFID reader 310 via the base unit 120 (or similarcomponents) integrated within the first electronic device 125 a. Thebase unit 120 may be configured to receive the wireless communications(comprising the unique identifiers) from the RFID reader 310 andassociate the unique identifiers with commands. These associatedcommands may then be presented from the base unit 120 to the firstelectronic device 125 a for use by the apps. The apps on the electronicdevice 125 a may be configured to control the one or more secondelectronic devices 125 b based on the commands from the base unit 120.In some embodiments, the apps on the electronic device 125 a may receivea command from the base unit 120 associated with an RFID device 110 anduse that command to control the one or more second electronic devices125 b.

Such integration of the base unit 120 and the first electronic device125 a may provide for expanded capabilities of the RFID control system.For example, the same RFID devices 110 may now be used to control avariety of second electronic devices by selecting different apps on thefirst electronic device, where the commands associated with each of theRFID devices 110 are “converted” into commands to the one or more secondelectronic devices 125 b.

For example, the thumb RFID device 110 a (referenced in FIG. 1A) uniqueidentifier (or other information) may be received by the RFID readerantenna 115 and wirelessly communicated from the RFID reader 310 to thefirst electronic device 125 a, which may be a cellular phone or othersimilar device (e.g., tablet, laptop, computer, etc.). The electronicdevice 125 a or the app 126 may associate the unique identifier receivedfrom the RFID reader 310 with a command in the cell phone 125 a. In someembodiments, each unique identifier may be associated with a singlecommand in the cell phone 125 a. Depending on the app 126 operating onthe cell phone 125 a, the one or more second electronic devices 125 bmay be controlled differently based on the single command in the cellphone 125 a.

If the app 126 operating on the cell phone 125 a is an app 126 tocontrol a camera, then the app 126 may convert the command associatedwith the RFID device 110 a in the cell phone 125 a to a command to takea picture that is broadcast to the camera second electronic device 125b. However, when the app 126 operating on the cell phone 125 a is an app126 to control a music player, the app 126 may convert the same commandassociated with the RFID device 110 a to a command to play music that isbroadcast to the music player second electronic device 125 b.Alternatively, when the app 126 operating on the cell phone 125 a is anapp 126 to control a health monitor, the app 126 may convert the samecommand associated with the RFID device 110 a to a command to activatethe health monitor electronic device 125 b. Accordingly, the limitednumber of RFID devices 110 may be extended to a near infinite number ofcontrol commands limited only by the apps on the first electronic device125.

In some embodiments, the wireless communications path 130 between theRFID reader 310 and the base unit 120 integrated into the firstelectronic device 125 a and the wireless communications path 134 betweenthe first electronic device 125 a and the one or more second electronicdevices 125 b may comprise any wireless communication protocol,including, for example, Bluetooth, low power Bluetooth, RFID, Wi-Fi,near-field communications (NFC), infrared, etc. In some embodiments, oneor more of the wireless communication paths 130 and 134 may beconfigured to be bidirectional, such that commands may be communicatedfrom the first electronic device 125 a to the one or more secondelectronic devices 125 b and vice versa. For example, if the RFID device110 a is placed near the RFID reader antenna 115, the unique identifiermay be communicated via communication path 130 from the RFID reader 310to the base unit 120 in the first electronic device 125 a, or cell phone125 a. An app 126 operating on the cell phone 125 a may receive acommand from the base unit 120 associated with the unique identifierfrom RFID device 110 a and broadcast a command via wirelesscommunication hardware of the cell phone 125 a to one or more of thesecond electronic devices 125 b, or music player 125 b, viacommunication path 134. Music player 125 b may begin playing music andmay communicate the music wirelessly to the cell phone 125 a via thecommunication path 134. The cell phone 125 a may output the wirelesslyreceived music via audio device 140 coupled thereto.

In some embodiments, the RFID reader antenna 115 and the RFID reader 310may be combined into a single device. In addition to extending thecontrol capabilities of a limited number of RFID devices 110, combiningthe base unit 120 with the first electronic device 125 a may also reducethe number of components in the system and may allow the user tostreamline his use of a system comprising of the combined RFID readerantenna 115 and reader 310 device, the first electronic device 125 a,and the one or more second electronic devices 125 b. Additionally, theRFID reader antenna 115 and reader 310 device may comprise lower costcomponents, and thus may allow the user to create a more versatilesystem by having multiple RFID reader antenna 115 and reader 310 devicesplaced in locations or in or on devices used for particular activities.For example, the user may install an RFID reader antenna 115 and reader310 device on a bike, where the user may uses a video camera electronicdevice 125 b controlled by the cell phone electronic device 125 a.Additionally, the user may have another RFID reader antenna 115 andreader 310 device installed in a ski jacket, where the user may use amusic player electronic device 125 b controlled by the cell phoneelectronic device 125 a. Accordingly, the user may be provided morecontrol and flexibility in the use of the RFID control system.

Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been describedherein for purpose of illustration, it will be appreciated by thoseskilled in the art that numerous variations of the details may be madewithout departing from the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A control system for controlling at least oneelectronic device, the control system comprising: at least one RFIDdevice; a patch comprising an RFID reader antenna, the RFID readerantenna configured to receive a signal from the at least one RFIDdevice; an RFID reader configured to decode the received signal; aprocessor configured to identify at least one command associated withthe decoded received signal; and a transmitter configured to wirelesslytransmit the at least one command to the at least one electronic device,the at least one electronic device being separate from the controlsystem.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory, thememory storing the at least one command.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the RFID reader antenna generates a wireless field.
 4. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFID reader antenna is attached to anarticle of clothing.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the RFIDdevice is attached to an article of clothing.
 6. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the patch is movable.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe at least one electronic device is one of a cellular phone, a musicplayer, a camera, or a camcorder.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinthe RFID device is an active type RFID device.
 9. The apparatus of claim1, wherein the at least one electronic device comprises an operatingsystem configured to execute an application, the application configuredto receive the at least one command and generate at least one signal toa controlled electronic apparatus in response to the at least onecommand.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controlled electronicapparatus comprises at least one of a camera, a health monitor, or amusic player.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least onesignal comprises a plurality of steps or commands for the controlledelectronic apparatus to perform.
 12. A glove for controlling anelectronic device, comprising: a plurality of RFID devices, each RFIDdevice being associated with a unique identifier; a patch comprising anRFID reader antenna, the RFID reader antenna configured to receive asignal from each of the plurality of devices; an RFID reader configuredto decode each received signal; a processor configured to identify atleast one command associated with each decoded signal; and a transmitterconfigured to wirelessly transmit the at least one command to theelectronic device, the electronic device being separate from the glove.13. The glove of claim 12, wherein the plurality of RFID devices aredisposed at a plurality of discrete locations within the glove.
 14. Theglove of claim 13, wherein the unique identifier is associated with oneof a stop command, play command, rewind command, fast forward command,pause command, volume up command, and volume down command.
 15. A methodfor an RFID apparatus to change a state of an electronic device,comprising: receiving, via a patch comprising an RFID reader antenna, asignal from at least one RFID device; decoding, via an RFID reader, thereceived signal into a unique identifier; associating, via a processor,at least one command with the decoded unique identifier; and wirelesslytransmitting, via a transmitter, the at least one associated command tothe electronic device, the electronic device being separate from theRFID apparatus.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electronicdevice is at least one of a media player, a camera, a camcorder, aphone, and a PDA.
 17. The method of claim 15, further comprisinggenerating a wireless field via an RFID antenna, wherein the wirelessfield enables communication with the at least one RFID device.
 18. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising attaching an RFID reader antennato an article of clothing such that the RFID reader antenna is easilyaccessible by the at least one RFID device.
 19. The method of claim 15,wherein the transmitting the at least one associated command compriseswirelessly transmitting the at least one associated command.
 20. Themethod of claim 15, further comprising: receiving the transmission at afirst device; and converting the received transmission into informationfor use by one or more applications, wherein each of the one or moreapplications are configured to control one or more electronic devices.